Locally Grown Goods

There is a sweeping movement amongst the “foodies” and health conscious to eat locally. You will understand the buzz when you start incorporating local foods into your diet. Fayette County boasts strong local food resources and a long growing season, so this is a great time to amp up your diet with fresh local fruits and vegetables.

Fresh fruits and vegetables grown in nutrient rich soil, with­­out chemical fertilizers and pest­icides, keep our bodies buzzing with vitamins, minerals and enzymes. These nutrient rich, low calorie foods can replace processed foods that are high in calories and nutrient deficient. Because industrial processing can destroy nutrients, highly processed foods often cost our bodies more to digest, absorb and eliminate than they offer us in nutritional value, leaving us feeling sluggish and depleted. So why do we eat this way? Because pouring a bowl of cereal and adding milk takes less time than making a fruit salad or cooking some eggs. Our health and energy levels can suffer as a result.

Experts agree that nutrient content is higher when fruits and vegetables are just picked, and dwindles as they sit around. The produce you buy in the grocery store was most likely picked 4 to 7 days earlier and shipped an average of 1,500 miles before getting to your plate.

Maximize your nutritional dollar by shopping at your local farmers market. Locally sold fruits and vegetables are picked when ripe, often the morning they are sold.

Here are some places to find locally grown food in our area:

Fayette County Farmer’s Market: 4-7pm  Thursdays on Main Street in Oak Hill, and 7:30–11:30am Saturdays in the Visitors Center parking lot on Court Street in Fayetteville.  Offerings include vegetables, fruits, jams, bread, baked goods, honey, eggs, and meats.  Runs through Bridge Day, and because several farmers have installed high tunnels, the growing season may be extended.

CSAs:  Community Supported Agriculture, or CSAs, provide packages of produce or meat for a monthly or weekly fee. Local CSAs include:

• West Virginia Homegrown Farms
Weekly baskets of whatever is in harvest, $10, open Wednesdays 4:30-8:00pm.  (304-719-0079)
• The Briar Patch organically grown berries, apples, peaches, pears, vegetables, and edible flowers. (304-673-0568)
• Davis Ridge Farm Seasonal CSA programs offering sausage and assorted cuts from antibiotic free “heirloom pork” as well as chicken. (304-661-7663)

Support your health by incorporating more fresh fruits and vegetables into your diet, and support the local economy by buying your produce directly from the farmer who grew and harvested it!

Do you have a health and diet related question? E-mail Erin at [email protected] to get your questions answered in the next Gorge Guide or find out more about her tailored health programs.

Tags: berry picking, farmers market, local food

Category: Food and Culture